8 Jan 2015

I'll Never Love England More Than When Covered in Snow

There is something magical about snow. It is that blank canvas that it creates, which completely transforms a landscape into a bright, sparkling wonderland. It isn't just the landscape that transforms either, as it can turn the grumpiest of person into a skipping, giggling child (could just be me though).Last week when a deep blanket of snow fell and covered most of South Yorkshire, I was chomping at the bit to get out and explore. Wrapped up in fleece, cosy woollen gloves and about three more layers, we drove out into the Peaks. I couldn't help but let out squeaks of excitement as we passed over the brow of a hill and out of the tree-lined road, to the wide, open sky and the view of the snowy hilltops gleaming under the morning sun.

The snow went up to our knees in some places and quite literally sparkled. It was the softest, most powdery snow I'd ever seen. Icicles hung from rocks where small streams stood still in the freezing temperatures and the whole area was quiet, muffled by the carpet of white. The only sounds to be heard were the odd crack of a tree branch giving way under the weight of the snow and the chirps of tiny birds, searching for food amongst the tops of the few plants that could still be seen.

When we reached the reservoir, the sight of the hills and woods reflected on the water was so incredibly beautiful, so we drove as slowly as we could just to take it all in. The road took us deeper into the woodland, which really did feel like I should be looking for a lamp post and Mr. Tumnus.

As is customary, I ended up chasing a poor creature around to get a good photo. This creature in particular was a fluffy robin. My chasing didn't last all that long as he clearly wanted to show off and landed on a branch right above my head.

It was the most perfect of days and one I wish I could have on repeat. Unfortunately as if from a fairytale, the snow was gone overnight as 2015 began. The title for this post was inspired by this song by Laura Marling, as I had it stuck in my head the whole time that we were out exploring. The line, 'Well goodbye old England, until next year's snow' rang so very true on New Year's Day. I just hope I don't have to wait that long!